You can believe what you want, but a choreographer like Ratmansky doesn't choose his dancers because of their resemblance with some drawings in a fairytale book.

I would agree with you but that 1964 book edition of the original poem Konyok-Gorbunok is very well-known in Russia, and I'm sure many older Russians know the color drawings from that edition. As such, my view that Ratmansky chose Vladimir Shklyarov to play the role of Ivanushka and Viktoria Tereshkina to play the role of the Tsar Maiden actually makes sense.

It doesn't make sense at all. Once again: they weren't chosen because of alleged resemblances to drawings in a fairytale book.

Hey, may we all lighten up a bit, please? .I think that it is a happy, wonderful coincidence that the selected dancers just happen to strongly resemble the drawings in the iconic (to Russian kids) fairy-tale book.

Now if that fairy-tale book happened to feature drawings of an uber-flexible, rail-thin gymnast with pointy chin and bleached-blonde hair then we might not be celebrating.

I actually looked up a Wikipedia article on the actual poem and got that link for the 1964 print run of the book, complete with the right illustrations! It appears that Alexei Ratmansky must have read this specific print run, that\'s to be sure.

Your statement seems to me to contain a huge leap of imagination when you say, “must have read...”

I noticed the casting for the first night and it looks like they DID chose the dancers that looked a lot like illustrations from the 1964 publication of the poem in book form. Notice from these drawings how much Ivanushka resembles Vladimir Shklyarov and the Tsar Maiden resembles Viktoria Tereshkina?

The thought that any choreographer would cast dancers due to a likeness to an illustration is I think highly unlikely and it would seem to me that perhaps you have not judged Ratmansky’s considerable talent to characterise roles from his own obviously talented imagination and knowledge. There are many other sources to inspire Ratmansky including the music. The Little Humpbacked Horse is very well known in Russia through books, a famous cartoon film, a feature film and the ballet performance by the Bolshoi Ballet staged by Radunsky that was captured on film (I was fortunate to see this ballet on stage in 1963) which in all probability was known to Ratmansky from his school days when such films were shown to students. I think anyone would have had to seen both Tereshkina and Shklyarov in a wide number of roles on stage to make a judgement as to their abilities to characterise these roles?

Thanks for posting the charming fairy tale, sacto...and you are 100% correct. I had forgotten that Ivanushka is supposed to be tallish and sandy-brown haired (not a diminutive pale-blonde lad a-la Vladimir Vasiliev) and the Tsar-maiden is supposed to have an exotic black-haired 'Persian look'! Bravo to you...and to the Mariinsky's casting gods. Common sense has finally prevailed. Not only that; Schklyarov & Terioshkina are both fabulous dancers.

For that hugely talented legendary dancer without a peer in his own time(and even until today in his best roles) in highly technical demi-character roles to be described as " a diminutive pale-blonde lad a-la Vladimir Vasiliev" indicates I do not know what, as it appears you have quite clearly dismissed him as inferior type to Schklyarov.In Radunsky's production Vasiliev was perfect casting. Ivanushka as the name quite clearly suggests is a peasant type who in the telling of the original tale would not depicted as a type to be characterised in a ballet as a tall danseur noble and prince like.

I would just add that it is a long time since I last saw any younger female or male dancers of the Maryinsky Ballet that I would describe as "fabulous" which in any case with respect, is a term more suitable to a teen fanzine than in an arena where serious discussion takes place.

I would just add that it is a long time since I last saw any younger female or male dancers of the Maryinsky Ballet that I would describe as "fabulous" which in any case with respect, is a term more suitable to a teen fanzine than in an arena where serious discussion takes place.

I think that "fabulous" has changed its usage from its teen fanzine days and has been co-opted by adults. I'm afraid that today's teen-speak is text-speak, and no word has a more than the maximum of four letters, u c. I had an easier time understanding the French surtitles to "Lady Macbeth in Msensk" at Paris Opera Ballet than a text message I received from a 15-year-old friend of the family. (And I still don't know how the "Kos" in "Daily Kos" is supposed to be pronounced.)

I would just add that it is a long time since I last saw any younger female or male dancers of the Maryinsky Ballet that I would describe as "fabulous" which in any case with respect, is a term more suitable to a teen fanzine than in an arena where serious discussion takes place.

I think that "fabulous" has changed its usage from its teen fanzine days and has been co-opted by adults. I'm afraid that today's teen-speak is text-speak, and no word has a more than the maximum of four letters, u c. I had an easier time reading the French surtitles to "Lady Macbeth in Msensk" at Paris Opera Ballet. than a text message I received from a 15-year-old friend of the family. (And I still don't know how the "Kos" in "Daily Kos" is supposed to be pronounced.)

Thank you Helene you have just made me feeeel my age. However I would say in England only people on television use the word extravagantly or those of course who think themselves as being 'fabulous'. It is a word I learnt at school when discussions on the Ottoman Empire took place. Does that sound snobbish enough?

Thak you Helene you have just made me feeel my age. However I would say in England only people on television use the word extravagently or those of course who think themselves as being 'fabulous'. It is a word I learnt at school when discussions on the Ottoman Empire took place. Does that sound snobbish enough?

.... legendary dancer without a peer in his own time(and even until today in his best roles) in highly technical demi-character roles to be described as " a diminutive pale-blonde lad a-la Vladimir Vasiliev" indicates I do not know what, as it appears you have quite clearly dismissed him as inferior type to Schklyarov.....

Dear Leonid, please do not infer anything. I have met and indeed know Mr. Vasiliev personally. He IS surprisingly short - and handsome/elegant -- and has often mentioned that he was initially surprised to have been cast in leading princely roles. Needless to say, one does not have to be of minimum height to be a prince; just as Baryshnikov and another FABULOUS Vasiliev, Ivan!

What a day to travel, my friends - the first substantial snowfall in Washington, DC, in the past four years or so. Maybe the fates are preparing me for a snowy, icy sojourn in my favorite Ballet Capital? Well, I am off to Mother Russia today for a mixture of business and ballet-viewing pleasure. Thanks to the press office at the Mariinsky, I should be reporting exclusively on the 9th Mariinsky Festival for Ballet Talk. A performances thread will be opened shortly. In the meantime, folks can continue to report updates to the ever-changing schedule/castings sheet. I am sure that by the time the Festival begins on the 14th, lots of elements shall have changed.

Well, I am off to Mother Russia today for a mixture of business and ballet-viewing pleasure. Thanks to the press office at the Mariinsky, I should be reporting exclusively on the 9th Mariinsky Festival for Ballet Talk. A performances thread will be opened shortly.

Great news, Natalia. I'm looking forward to the reports -- and reports from others as well, I hope -- and to the discussion they spark.